Still without his next UFC fight, Khamzat Chimaev is calling on Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis, Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho to step up.
Khamzat Chimaev is getting tired of waiting.
The former UFC middleweight champion still doesn’t have his next UFC fight booked, but if the promotion needs a few suggestions, Chimaev just made things pretty easy.
Sean Strickland.
Dricus Du Plessis.
Nassourdine Imavov.
Caio Borralho.
On August 31, Chimaev posted a simple message on X:
That’s basically the top of the middleweight division condensed into one social media post.
And it wasn’t Chimaev’s first attempt to get something moving.
Less than two weeks earlier, on August 18, Chimaev went directly to UFC CEO Dana White.
“What are we waiting for? I want to fight,” Chimaev wrote while tagging White.
White was subsequently asked about Chimaev and said the former champion remains in the conversation to fight, but no matchup has materialized yet.
So now Chimaev has provided his own shortlist.
Sean Strickland
This one is obvious.
Strickland handed Chimaev the first defeat of his professional career at UFC 328 on May 9, taking the middleweight championship with a razor-close split decision.
Chimaev dominated portions of the opening round with his wrestling, but Strickland survived the early pressure and increasingly found success behind his jab as the fight progressed. After five rounds, two judges scored the fight 48-47 for Strickland, while the third had it 48-47 for Chimaev.
Chimaev has wanted that one back ever since.
The complication is Strickland’s availability. The champion has been dealing with a shoulder injury, making the timeline for an immediate rematch uncertain.
If Strickland isn’t available, however, Chimaev apparently isn’t interested in sitting around.
Dricus Du Plessis
There is history here too.
Du Plessis lost the UFC middleweight championship to Chimaev at UFC 319 in August 2025. Since then, the South African has worked his way back with a dominant victory over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
Running Chimaev-Du Plessis back wouldn’t give Chimaev the championship opportunity he ultimately wants, but it would give the UFC two former middleweight champions with an existing storyline and major stakes near the top of the division.
Nassourdine Imavov
Then there is arguably the most interesting fresh matchup on the list.
Imavov has established himself among the division’s leading contenders and is riding a five-fight winning streak. His run includes a decision victory over Caio Borralho, putting him firmly into the championship conversation.
Unlike Strickland and Du Plessis, there isn’t an old Chimaev fight to revisit here.
It’s simply two of the best middleweights available being pointed toward each other.
Caio Borralho
Borralho rounds out Chimaev’s list.
The Brazilian rebounded from his loss to Imavov by defeating Reinier de Ridder at UFC 326 in March, keeping himself relevant in the crowded middleweight picture.
It may not carry the history of Strickland or Du Plessis, but Chimaev versus Borralho would still provide a high-level matchup with significant consequences for both men.
More importantly, Chimaev’s post suggests he’s willing to entertain it.
And that may be the biggest takeaway from his four-name list.
This doesn’t sound like a fighter saying championship rematch or nothing.
It sounds like a fighter who wants back inside the Octagon.
Chimaev Isn’t Exactly Sitting Around
While the UFC figures out what comes next, Chimaev is staying busy outside the Octagon.
He is scheduled to wrestle former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at Real American Freestyle in Moscow on September 5. Then, on September 18, Chimaev is booked for another intriguing wrestling matchup at RAF 13 in Miami — a rematch with Gilbert Burns, more than four years after their memorable UFC 273 fight.
But those matches aren’t a replacement for what Chimaev has been publicly asking for.
He wants another UFC fight.
First he asked Dana White what they were waiting for.
Now he’s supplied four names.
Strickland would give him a chance to avenge the only loss of his career and regain the championship. Du Plessis offers another meeting between former champions. Imavov provides a fresh matchup against one of the division’s hottest contenders. Borralho gives the UFC another legitimate top-level option.
Chimaev has made his part of the equation pretty clear.
Now somebody just has to say they’re ready too.
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